The present invention relates to a machine for treating a track composed of two rails fastened to ties and rail pads interposed between the rails and ties.
Rail pads serve as a protective layer for absorbing and attenuating the damaging high frequency rail vibrations caused by train traffic and are usually made of rubber or synthetic materials. Installed between the base of the rails and the rail seat, i.e. a tie plate, for example, the rail pads provide cushioning, shock absorption and sound abatement. Due to the influence of severe weather conditions as well as continued abrasion and vibrational impact, rail pads suffer wear and tear and eventually must be replaced. This necessitates exposing the rail seat and removing from it the remains of the old rail pad as completely as possible in order to provide a clean and even surface for installing a new rail pad.
In a related field, a track maintenance machine for adzing ties is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,426. This kind of machine is typically used in rail relaying operations after one rail of the track has been removed. The so-called adzer includes a cutter head mounted for rotation about a vertical axis by means of a rotation drive, the head being vertically adjustable by pivoting about a horizontal axis with the aid of a drive. The cutter head is supported on a mobile machine frame and in operation is guided across the tie in order to smoothen any irregularities in the tie surface in preparation for the installation of a new rail.